Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison - Police Detective Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison Jane Tennison is a character in the British police procedural television drama that was created by Lynda La Plante and broadcasted in 1990âs and 2000âs. Jane is a British Detective Chief Inspector in Metrolpolitan Police Division starring Helen Mirren in the role which was appreciated a lot by the viewers. The show clearly depicts that how a female manages to remain in the profession when it is highly dominated by males. The show also received Edgar Award in Best TV show category. The whole series focuses the role of a woman in Police Division and later she gets promoted as Detective Superintendent. Prime Suspect There are seven series of Prime Suspect and all the series are 100 and 200 min long. All the series shows the courage of detective Jane Tennison and how she investigates all the mysteries. She has four members in her team who help her in all the investigations. Prime Suspect is based on Police Procedural format and is created by Lynda La Plante. Lynda is a great writer and has a great record for writing several novels about investigations.

There are seven series which are included with nine episodes. All the episodes are exceptionally interesting and retain the interest of the customer from starting to the end. Series The whole series was produced under the banner of Granada Television ITV productions. ITV productions have a reputed name in the world of fictional stories and characters. They have been released around 15 fictional characters and all the characters are published in the novels too. The whole series of Prime Suspect was run from 7th April 1991 to 22 October 2006. However, there are several breaks in the broadcasting of this serial but in the end they succeed in completing the series. This is the first series of this type in which a woman holds a very responsive position in Detective Agency. The first part of Prime Suspect features sexism at workplace and the other parts are also based on this theme. The second part features the institutional racism and the third one features pedophilia, prostitution and child abuse. As there is a lady at the top position in large detective agency, Jane had to fight with her work life and relationships. She needs to maintain a perfect balance between her job and her private life.

With the progression of series, she became alcoholic due to increased stress and tension but she soon get successful in tackling the alcohol addiction. The series of Prime Suspect are in multiple episodes and every part is included with 31/2 hours and was divided into three or four parts. Three Cases Prime Suspect 4 was exceptionally long and was divided into three cases in which every case was 41/2 hours long. Prime Suspect was aired in 1991 and was divided into two parts. Prime Suspect 2 was aired in 15th December 1992 and was 203 min long. Prime Suspect 3 was aired in 19th December and its length is 207 min. Prime Suspect 4 has three parts with different titles including Lost Child, Inner Circles and Scent of Darkness. So, this character or series is the successful interms of providing complete entertainment to the audience. Masterpiece Theatre | Prime Suspect 1-5 | Prime Suspect 1 Prime Suspect 1 May 2 + 9, 2004 on PBS (Check local listings; dates may vary) D.C.I.

Jane Tennison is a skilled, top-class detective, battling to prove herself in a male world. While investigating a murder, her strength of character and skills as a detective are put to the test as she exposes a cover-up within the force. And when a second murder victim is discovered, the inquiry turns into a grisly investigation stretching back over ten years. Cast & credits | What the press said... | Awards Background Prime Suspect 1 first aired on PBS in January and February of 1992. The program appeared on the series Mystery! and was introduced by then Mystery! host Diana Rigg. With the arrival of Prime Suspect -- a thriller in which a female Detective Inspector investigates the murder of a young girl -- Jane Tennison became a favorite with viewers on both sides of the Atlantic. Tennison risks all in her relentless pursuit of duty and battles to prove herself. The inimitable Helen Mirren won raves for her performance. The original idea for Prime Suspect, and the Tennison character, sprang from the imagination of writer Lynda La Plante. Born in Liverpool in 1946, at sixteen La Plante won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where she trained to be an actress.

She began a successful stage and television career, working in repertory and joining the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. But in the early '80s, with the success of her miniseries Widows, La Plante gave up acting to devote herself to writing full-time. "I realize that I have been a very lucky writer, luck that gets a script on the right desk at the right time -- the rest is hard work. However, much of that hard work is assisted, encouraged and honed down by script editors, producers, directors, editors and actors, and for me a television series or film is very much a group product; we all need each other to make it work, and when it does there is no better incentive for a writer to start work on the next project." La Plante created Prime Suspect after watching reality-TV crime shows. After calling Scotland Yard and learning that there were only a handful of female DCIs, she interviewed one of them (Jackie Moulton), who impressed her so much that La Plante decided to base the plot on her.

Helen Mirren commented on her first outing in the role of Jane Tennison: "I'd describe her as extremely directed, ambitious, talented and very uncompromising. Therefore she is deeply frustrated by her job; the way her sex is a barrier. But she knows how to work the system. This is the first time I've played a policewoman, but I wouldn't say it's the first time I've played a character like her; in fact the character that I have played that is closest to her is Lady MacBeth! Of course she wasn't on the right side of law and order, but their single-mindedness and their ambition are very strong. I found it fascinating to play a policewoman -- it is quite easy for people to view the police as the enemy, alien in their uniforms. Tennison is plain-clothes, but she has the mantle of authority and power." back to top Prime Suspect 1 story synopsis - Plot Revealed Below! In the early hours of a winter morning DCI John Shefford is called to a bedsit in Holborn where the brutally murdered body of a young woman has been discovered by the landlady.

While DC Jones interviews her, DS Bill Otley hands Shefford a small black diary, which he promptly pockets. The pathologist finishes his initial examination, and the body, identified by Shefford as that of Delia Mornay, prostitute, is removed in a body bag. Jane Tennison, attached to the same station as Shefford and of equal rank, is certain that she has, once again, been the victim of sexual discrimination. Although available at the first notification of the Della Mornay incident, her supervisors preferred to fish Shefford out of a drinking club rather than call upon her to head a murder enquiry. The following day the body of Della Mornay is examined, and semen and blood samples show the man they are looking for has a rare blood group -- and there is a suspect in that category on the police computer, George Marlow, recently released from prison after serving a sentence for attempted rape. While Shefford and his team set out to charge Marlow in record-breaking time, Tennison applies herself to routine police work and the demands of her home life with Peter Rawlins, her recently divorced live-in lover.

The situation changes dramatically when Shefford's regular diet of junk food, cigarettes and alcohol results in a massive heart attack, and Tennison, sensing that this is her moment, pressures her superiors and succeeds in taking over the enquiry. Shefford is a hard act to follow, and his team is angry and incredulous that Tennison has been appointed his successor. Despite this she immerses herself in the details of the investigation, uncovering errors and conflicting facts about the case which convince her that though George Marlow is an obvious and convenient suspect, there is no real evidence against him. Then a second body is discovered, and what started as a single murder inquiry develops into an investigation stretching back over ten years...... back to top Commentary - Plot Revealed Below! The commentary below was presented by Diana Rigg, host of Mystery!, when Prime Suspect 1 first aired (in three parts) on that series in 1992. Episode 1 - Introduction A policeman's lot may not be a happy one -- but a policewoman's is even worse, as we'll see tonight in Prime Suspect, a thriller written especially for television.

At the center of the story is Jane Tennison, a policewoman who has fought her way up through the male ranks of Scotland Yard to become a Detective Chief Inspector. In spite of her experience, her superiors have never allowed her to head a homicide investigation. DCI Tennison is one of a very select company. At the time Prime Suspect was written, there were only four female DCIs in Great Britain. And they've had to make some sacrifices for their success -- as Tennison will when she finally gets a crack at that elusive prize -- her own murder case. As a woman on a mostly male police force, she must endure the open hostility of the men under her command who are none too happy about taking orders from a woman. It's no easier on the home front. Wrestling with these pressures takes an emotional toll on her, unwilling as she is to admit it. Because deep in her heart, Jane Tennison knows there's one law a policewoman must obey above all others: Never let them see you cry.

Episode 2 - Introduction In the last episode of Prime Suspect, Jane Tennison was denied the chance to lead a murder investigation -- not the first time she'd been passed over by the men who run Scotland Yard. But when the detective in charge of the case dropped dead of a heart attack, Tennison finally got the break she'd been waiting for. Now she's really got her hands full. Not only does she have a brutal sex crime to solve, but she's working with a police force of men who don't think she's up to the job. Led by the odious Sergeant Otley, they try to sabotage her at every turn. But Tennison just grits her teeth and starts digging into the case -- the rape and murder of a prostitute. Sergeant Otley recognized the victim as Della Mornay and tracked down a suspect -- George Marlow, who swears he left Della very much alive. Since the evidence against him is circumstantial, Tennison must now find more proof. But the whole case turns upside-down when she discovers the victim is not Della Mornay, after all. Even worse, Sergeant Otley knew it and deliberately concealed her true identity -- as well as some important evidence.

The murder victim turns out to be Karen Howard, a young woman of good family. How did she end up in a prostitute's flat? And where is the real Della Mornay? Puzzling questions -- and Tennison doesn't have the answers. She's forced to release Marlow -- only to learn that Della has just been found -- murdered -- probably by the same man who killed Karen. Now, an eyewitness has come forward to identify the killer in a police lineup. Tennison watches nervously as the witness paces back and forth -- and stops right in front of George Marlow. Episode 3 - Introduction Chief Inspector Jane Tennison thought she'd finally found the witness needed to build an airtight murder case against George Marlow. But the witness passed over Marlow in a police lineup. Now, Tennison is more determined than ever to catch the killer, and she resolves to follow up every possible lead -- even Marlow's missing car, which he claims was stolen. But she thinks he's locked it away in a garage somewhere. When her men can't find it, she begins to doubt her suspicions. Marlow traveled frequently on business -- always in the company of his girlfriend, Moyra.

The inspector and her men start reviewing all unsolved murder cases in the areas the couple visited. In the process, they turn up four similar deaths from the past decade. What if this is the work of a serial killer and she's wasting precious time on Marlow? Subjected to police searches and surveillance, Marlow is furious about his persecution -- and so is Tennison's boss. She's ordered to back off until she produces solid evidence tying him to the murders of Della Mornay and Karen Howard. By now, her obsession with the case has begun to take its toll -- both at home and on the job. First, her live-in boyfriend moves out. Then, when she accuses a colleague of concealing important evidence, her boss blows his top -- and threatens to pull her off the case. Episode 3 - Conclusion While it's still rare for a woman to rise to the rank of detective chief inspector, as Jane Tennison did, women have served on the British police force for nearly 80 years. During World War I, when most able-bodied men were fighting at the front, the Home Office recognized -- reluctantly -- the need for a women's police force to keep the peace at home.

Oddly enough, many of these early policewomen were ex-jailbirds. As suffragettes, they'd been arrested for acts of protest -- such as chucking bricks through the windows of the same Home Office that would later appoint them guardians of the law. For many years, their duties were restricted to patrolling public parks or rounding up delinquent children. But a handful of women slowly worked their way into the Criminal Investigation Department. The press ridiculed the idea of female detectives, but these early policewomen quickly proved themselves. They cleared a path for future generations, who would rise higher and higher in the ranks of the force. But it's been a long, hard climb, and it's still far from over -- as Jane Tennison would tell you... A belter of a suspense thriller that will keep you enthralled to the bitter, terrible end... -- Time Out A brilliant new series ... not to be missed under any circumstances... -- Daily Star If we could count on a thriller half as exciting as this a couple of times a month somewhere on the airwaves, I'd never again call British television dull... Tom Bell (is) brilliantly repulsive...

-- Daily Mirror Strong story and very good performances from Mirren and from Tom Bell as her witheringly sexist, devious sergeant. -- Daily Telegraph A tense, intriguing whodunit... -- Hello A story that moves at a cracking pace, sweeping a cast of beautifully observed characters along with it... -- Sunday Times Helen Mirren gives a star performance with just the right amount of nervy intensity... -- Sunday Telegraph Mirren is, as usual quite brilliant, portraying a combination of guts, jitters and ruthless ambition which is utterly convincing... -- The Observer Drama doesn't come any more gripping than Prime Suspect... I guarantee you'll quickly become hooked. Don't miss it... -- Sunday Post (Glasgow) Prime Suspect pulls no punches. It rams them down your throat.... powerful stuff, superbly crafted and strong on gritty realism... -- The Sun There are not many occasions nowadays when TV can persuade you to cancel everything to make sure you are home in time to see a particular program. This was a hard, gritty, realistic murder story... I hope you didn't miss it... -- Daily Mail One of those of those rare shows that hook the nation: a TV event.

Thousands must have postponed Monday night plans to follow this brutal murder case which swept you along with its driving pace. The cast was superb... -- The Sun The nation has been united, divided, mesmerized, offended and generally caught up on Prime Suspect... People were telephoning each other across the country to compare notes... -- The Daily Telegraph Did you catch the brilliant Prime Suspect? Tremendous writing and acting from Lynda La Plante, Helen Mirren and all involved... -- The Sun I can't remember when I last came across such enthusiasm for a show as there was for Prime Suspect... I lost count of the number of people who raved about it... -- Daily Express High-class, gripping drama... compelling viewing... -- Stroud News and Journal Helen Mirren and her team: Absolute magic in the high-caliber Prime Suspect... -- Daily Mail Tremendous stuff... The best thing was La Plante's fast, fearless plot... Every scene, every passing clip of conversation rang true... -- Daily Mirror Helen Mirren... gave a transfixing performance... -- The Times Television drama at it's powerful, elegant best with lines perfectly crafted by a woman who has an unerring ear for the truth...

-- Daily Mail 240 minutes of edge-of-seat entertainment... Everyone you meet asks, "Did you see Prime Suspect?" -- Bristol Evening Post What a resounding triumph... with every aspect of the production -- script, acting, directing -- fine-tuned to excellence. -- Manchester Evening News I nominate Helen Mirren 'Television Actress of the Year' for her role in Prime Suspect.' -- Newcastle Journal You may have required a strong stomach to watch it, but Prime Suspect could be one of THE dramatic events of this television year. Superbly written, directed and acted... a first-class effort from start to finish... -- Halifax Evening Courier Criminal Pursuits - latimes YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home → Collections Criminal Pursuits May 12, 1996 |MARGO KAUFMAN I'm a fan of "Prime Suspect," the Emmy award-winning series created by Lynda La Plante, even though Detective Inspector Jane Tennyson, played by Helen Mirren, has no people skills and should be sentenced to three months of charm school.

Amazingly, Tennyson is a social butterfly compared to Lorraine Page, the grim heroine of La Plante's riveting, if predictable, "Cold Shoulder." Lieutenant Page has been kicked off the Pasadena police force for emptying six rounds into an innocent kid while drunk on duty. The author describes Page's subsequent downward spiral in such chilling detail that it functions like literary Antabuse: She loses her townhouse, her husband and her daughters, then she's hit by a car while attempting to turn tricks and sent to a rehabilitation center. There, she's befriended by Rosie Hurst--a gutsy recovering alcoholic--Kathy Bates, call your agent--who takes the ungrateful Page home. Almost immediately, Page is attacked by a serial killer, and her inevitable quest for her assailant leads her into a bleak nest of transvestite prostitutes (enough already with the cross-dressers) and ultimately to her salvation. Elizabeth George is arguably the finest writer working in the mystery genre today, and "In the Presence of the Enemy" is marvelous, though extremely sinister. The 10-year-old out-of-wedlock daughter of Eve Bowen, an unfeeling, ultra-Conservative British politician, has been kidnapped.

Her abductor threatens to kill her unless tabloid editor Dennis Luxford publicly admits to having fathered her. Luxford is willing, but Bowen fears the negative publicity will hurt her career. She won't call the police and only reluctantly solicits help. When the inevitable tragedy occurs, enter the fabulously rich and perpetually gloomy New Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his desperately-in-need-of-a-glamour-makeover assistant, Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. George's characters are so well drawn and neurotic that I wanted to give them the name of my therapist. Alas, the ending is a bit of a cheat. It's a safe bet that racing fans will enjoy the action-packed "Dark Horse," by Bill Shoemaker, the most successful jockey in history. Disgraced jockey- restaurant owner Coley Killebrew attempts to unravel an intricate puzzle involving prize racehorses (naturally), Colombian drug czars, the CIA, a presidential candidate and the gorgeous Lea Starbuck, Killebrew's kidnapped fiancee.

The vivid descriptions of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes are enthralling, but more delightful are the sly descriptions of everyday objects such as "a microwave that could do anything but balance your checkbook." Sophie Dunbar's "A Bad Hair Day" is an energetic, sensuous romp that is particularly refreshing given the large number of literary detectives in need of Prozac. When she's not ravishing or being ravished by her husband, New Orleans hairdresser Claire Claireborne attempts to untangle who's behind the gruesome but obscenely clever murder of two of her colleagues. The characters are singular and delectable, and Dunbar's depiction of New Orleans and the beauty business are so tantalizing I couldn't decide if I wanted to buy a plane ticket or run out and get my hair cut. Move over Mary Higgins Clark. Joyce Burditt, writer-producer for television mysteries like "Perry Mason," "Matlock" and "The Father Dowling Mysteries" has added a dollop of whodunit to the classic Hollywood novel and come up with "Buck Naked," a page turner.

Licensed sleuth and self described "not-so-tough cookie" Demeter "Dutch" O'Brien is recovering from a broken heart, substance abuse, a dysfunctional relationship with her mother, an over-the-top Beverly Hills shrink and God knows what else. She takes a job as script advisor on a popular television series "Stone, Private Eye." By the end of her first week, Buck, the pseudo-folksy aging star, makes a pass at her; Amy, the troublesome ingenue is murdered and her severed head is delivered to Dutch in a floral hatbox with a warning that she's next. I guessed the killer early on, but the backstage at the studio scenes were divine. Great for a long plane trip. **** Articles about Lynda La Plante - latimes Tough, like Jane September 20, 2008 | Lynn Smith, Times Staff Writer When Lynda La Plante, a mother of the female-led cop drama, looks among this year's Emmy nominees, it's almost as if she were welcoming relatives to a family gathering.

Four of the five lead actresses nominated for their work in a dramatic series owe something to Jane Tennison -- the pioneering TV detective who was the centerpiece of the Liverpool native's award-winning British series "Prime Suspect," which later migrated to the United States and won its share of Emmys here. Advertisement Mystery steeped in seamier side of life January 21, 2006 | Emily Green, Times Staff Writer FOR those who love mysteries, and only wish that American crime writer Patricia Cornwell had a dirtier mind, "Above Suspicion" is their book. With the book's American release, Lynda La Plante, the British author of the "Prime Suspect" novels, is back with more bondage, buggery and blasphemy. La Plante doesn't simply murder a series of prostitutes here but has them trussed by their underwear, raped, sodomized and left to rot. ENTERTAINMENT Mystery steeped in seamier side of life January 21, 2006 | Emily Green, Times Staff Writer FOR those who love mysteries, and only wish that American crime writer Patricia Cornwell had a dirtier mind, "Above Suspicion" is their book.

With the book's American release, Lynda La Plante, the British author of the "Prime Suspect" novels, is back with more bondage, buggery and blasphemy. La Plante doesn't simply murder a series of prostitutes here but has them trussed by their underwear, raped, sodomized and left to rot. BOOKS Criminal Pursuits May 12, 1996 | MARGO KAUFMAN I'm a fan of "Prime Suspect," the Emmy award-winning series created by Lynda La Plante, even though Detective Inspector Jane Tennyson, played by Helen Mirren, has no people skills and should be sentenced to three months of charm school.

Amazingly, Tennyson is a social butterfly compared to Lorraine Page, the grim heroine of La Plante's riveting, if predictable, "Cold Shoulder." ENTERTAINMENT These Black-Clad 'Widows' Spin a Tangled Web August 6, 2002 | HOWARD ROSENBERG, TIMES STAFF WRITER The popular 1983 British series "Widows" marked the first women-in-crime success of writer Lynda La Plante, who went on to create the oft-brilliant "Prime Suspect," which brightened PBS and gave viewers fond memories of Helen Mirren as flawed, ambitious police Inspector Jane Tennison, who rose in the ranks despite opposition from her department's male coppers. "Widows" coincided in the U.S. with "Cagney and Lacey" when it came to deploying women as serious players in crime drama. NEWS Crime Pays For 'Framed' Author September 19, 1993 | JEFF KAYE, Jeff Kaye is a frequent contributor to Calendar and TV Times British suspense writer Lynda La Plante has become a sleuth herself.

In the name of research, the creator of such acclaimed dramas as "Prime Suspect" was trying to track down and interview a sophisticated fugitive whose story would be the basis for her TV thriller, "Framed." It wouldn't be easy; he'd been declared dead. She had worked her police sources in London, met with criminals on the run in Spain and made a fruitless journey to Miami. ENTERTAINMENT Quick Takes March 26, 1996 | SHAUNA SNOW, Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation's press Comedian Sandra Bernhard starts production today on "Real Wild Cinema," a new USA Network series that will feature Bernhard and a celebrity guest commenting each week on celebrated low-budget and off-beat movies. The hourlong series premieres on the cable network on April 21. . . . Sylvia Lopez took over Monday as co-anchor of KCAL-TV Channel 9's "Noon Report," joining co-anchor David Gonzales. Lopez's previous post as weekend anchor-reporter will be filled by Gay Yee.

ENTERTAINMENT TV REVIEW : 'Suspect': An Arresting Thriller on 'Mystery!' January 23, 1992 | HOWARD ROSENBERG, TIMES TELEVISION CRITIC Diana Rigg may never supplant Alistair Cooke. Yet one could make a case for "Mystery!" having eclipsed "Masterpiece Theatre" as the centerpiece drama series on PBS. And then help support it by citing "Prime Suspect," the crackling good three-parter from Britain's Granada Television opening at 9 tonight on KCET Channel 28 and KPBS Channel 15. The mystery in this new "Mystery!"--and it does keeps you guessing--centers on the identity of a particularly monstrous serial killer.

ENTERTAINMENT These Black-Clad 'Widows' Spin a Tangled Web August 6, 2002 | HOWARD ROSENBERG, TIMES STAFF WRITER The popular 1983 British series "Widows" marked the first women-in-crime success of writer Lynda La Plante, who went on to create the oft-brilliant "Prime Suspect," which brightened PBS and gave viewers fond memories of Helen Mirren as flawed, ambitious police Inspector Jane Tennison, who rose in the ranks despite opposition from her department's male coppers. "Widows" coincided in the U.S. with "Cagney and Lacey" when it came to deploying women as serious players in crime drama. BOOKS Criminal Pursuits May 12, 1996 | MARGO KAUFMAN I'm a fan of "Prime Suspect," the Emmy award-winning series created by Lynda La Plante, even though Detective Inspector Jane Tennyson, played by Helen Mirren, has no people skills and should be sentenced to three months of charm school.

Amazingly, Tennyson is a social butterfly compared to Lorraine Page, the grim heroine of La Plante's riveting, if predictable, "Cold Shoulder." NEWS Crime Pays For 'Framed' Author September 19, 1993 | JEFF KAYE, Jeff Kaye is a frequent contributor to Calendar and TV Times British suspense writer Lynda La Plante has become a sleuth herself. In the name of research, the creator of such acclaimed dramas as "Prime Suspect" was trying to track down and interview a sophisticated fugitive whose story would be the basis for her TV thriller, "Framed." It wouldn't be easy; he'd been declared dead. She had worked her police sources in London, met with criminals on the run in Spain and made a fruitless journey to Miami. ENTERTAINMENT Sam and 'Frasier' to Reunite, 'Travels' Part of NBC Lineup : Television: Ted Danson will guest star on the sitcom next month and star in the four-hour miniseries, which will air in the fall.

January 10, 1995 | GREG BRAXTON, TIMES STAFF WRITER Old "Cheers" pals Sam Malone and Frasier Crane will reunite next month when Ted Danson guest stars on "Frasier" in a special episode for the ratings sweeps, NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield announced Monday during the semi-annual gathering of national television writers and critics. ENTERTAINMENT 'Suspect' Has Tough Act to Follow--Itself October 20, 1995 | HOWARD ROSENBERG What's especially striking about the current issue of Vanity Fair is not how closely Ralph Fiennes resembles a demented, bare-chested, hair-teased Jesus on the cover. It's the portfolio inside of his fellow "Theater Royals" from Britain. At least a dozen have appeared on PBS in British dramas that, through the years, have comprised the class of television in the United States. INTERVIEW / DCI Jane Tennison? Yes, that was me: 'Prime Suspect' was far more than mere TV for Jackie Malton, on whose rebellious career Helen Mirren's detective was based | The Independent INTERVIEW / DCI Jane Tennison?

Yes, that was me: 'Prime Suspect' was far more than mere TV for Jackie Malton, on whose rebellious career Helen Mirren's detective was based Monday 14 June 1993 23:02 BST Click to follow Indy Lifestyle Online ON MY WAY to interview Detective Chief Inspector Jackie Malton, one of the highest ranking women in the Metropolitan police, it struck me that I looked like an off-duty policewoman myself. Polished navy flatties, navy tights and skirt, discreetly checked camel and navy jacket . . . hang on, I thought, I don't usually dress like this: what am I doing? I realised that I had unconsciously picked clothes designed to ingratiate me with DCI Jane Tennison: the brisk and formidable heroine played by Helen Mirren in Lynda La Plante's television drama, Prime Suspect. Tennison was a driven station head sacrificing her personal life to the brilliant and ruthless pursuit of villians.

Lynda La Plante said at the time of the first Prime Suspect, 'The professional character of Jane Tennison was based on a London DCI I met during my research who had gained extraordinary respect from her male colleagues because she ate, slept and breathed the job. 'As officers jostle to get to the top, there is certainly prejudice against women. If two detectives are on the case, a man'll open the door for the woman but it'll be the back door, because he wants to be in the front, where the power is. A woman must be stronger than men to survive in such a world, but she mustn't lose her feminine insights.' What I encountered, however, when I met her role model, Jackie Malton - upon whom the fictional DCI was based - in the Green Belt village where she lives was a very different kind of police officer. Today DCI Malton is a community liaison officer: still a woman dedicated to her job, today her difficult task is to keep open an honest dialogue between the police and an ethnically mixed community in London. It must be maddening for a woman who has been so successful in her own right to find herself best-known as a fictional character.

So, was it even true? 'I don't know who else she met but certainly she and I worked on the script for months and months. The plot and the character were hers, but the authenticity was mine. We had to make it real in police terms and so the character became more 'me'. I'd tell her something one day and the next day it'd be in the script.' Jackie Malton may be responsible for Prime Suspect's gritty authenticity, but she is not a typical woman police officer. At 42, she looks like a grown-up Princess of Wales. The day we met she looked confident and successful in an emerald green jacket and classy gold jewellery. It was a surprise, then, to hear her say, not once but several times, that she had suffered from low self-esteem most of her life. 'The 11-plus caused me a lot of emotional damage. I felt society had written me off. I had failed.

Years later I heard that because more girls than boys passed the 11-plus, they used to mark down the girls and I thought, if I could prove that was true, I'd sue the government for the harm and pain it caused me.' She was born in Lincoln in 1951, where her father was a manager on Associated Newspapers' provincial titles. And her mother? 'She didn't work. It was that era.' Her mother wanted Jackie to go to a private school, a convent. 'I thought to myself, I'm not going. We had to sit an entrance exam and I just put 'Don't know' after every question. Even at that age I knew I was a rebel. I used to play football with two boys in our road and apparently I said to my mother, 'How are nuns going to play football in those long frocks?' ' She went instead to a secondary modern school and emerged with O-levels but not enough academic qualifications to do what she really wanted, which was to be a probation officer. 'As a kid I'd done a project on the Howard League for Penal Reform and I was fascinated by prisons and the underdog.

But I thought prison officers walked around with a bunch of keys and locked people up, and I didn't want that. So I went into the police force.' Her rise was rapid. She started her career as a cadet, straight from school, in the Leicester force. 'In those days women police officers were in a completely separate department. We had to deal with women's issues. I was 19, and I didn't understand things then as I do now. If I went to a domestic (dispute) and sat them down with a cup of tea to talk it over I would leave thinking I'd done a good job. That's how nave I was]' After nine years, she moved down to London where she was accepted as a detective sergeant. She was seconded to the 1981 Deptford fire investigation after 13 black teenagers were burnt to death during a party. 'Those images, unfortunately, have always stayed in my head and whether that's a character defect, I don't know. At the Deptford fire . . . that boy hanging out of the window . . . I hate it. I wish they would go away. It was a terrible, terrible thing.' There was an inquiry afterwards.

A racial motive was suspected, but never proved. 'That inquiry taught me a lot about the system.' Next she moved on to the team investigating criminal aspects of the Brixton riots. Already Jackie Malton was an untypical police officer; politically incorrect within the force, with a passionate and inconvenient sympathy for the underdog. She joined a Flying Squad as the only woman among 40 men, working on armed robbery prevention. Promoted in 1984 to detective inspector, she was posted to West End Central and then transferred to the Company Fraud Squad. In 1989 she went from there to Hammersmith as its DCI: the woman in charge, the Helen Mirren figure. For the next two-and-a-half years she was her job. 'I was all-consumed with the police, and that's not particularly healthy.' Jackie Malton was destined for the top. Even so, she suffered from traditional police attitudes towards WPCs. 'I felt I was equal and the system should allow me to be equal, and it didn't. I went out on the beat and was always good at that - I'm quite intuitive.

I was,' (she says this at least three times in the course of our interview, with growing emphasis), 'I was a good police officer and nobody can take that away from me.' Her next choice of job was a surprise. In November 1991 she applied for, and got, her present poisition as Kensington and Chelsea's Community Liaison Officer: a job seldom held by a detective, but absolutely right for her. What led her from such high-profile work into the apparently soft option of community relations work? 'I'm good at the chat, at relating to people: that's why I applied for the job. It's a new culture for the police, that we sit down and listen instead of always thinking we're right. We were often wrong. You have to acknowledge your mistakes and their anger. You don't win people's trust overnight.' No one, she thinks, is born evil. She has compassion even for wife-beaters and abusers. 'They are dumping their own low self-worth on to someone else. It's about power, control, domination, to hide their own inadequacy.

You've got to acknowledge the pain of the victims, but you also have to treat the offenders as individuals, not just people who've done something criminal. I don't believe the answer is to lock people up. 'The trouble is, we're - the police, this society - obsessed with what we can measure, like the clear-up rate. How do you measure the value of talking to someone for three hours and making them feel better? But if you fight for the minority, the majority turns on you, and it has an effect. You think, if you're the only voice you've got to be wrong. You end up frustrated and angry. 'In this country we treat the symptoms. We put people in prison and write them off. There has to be a prison system for the worst offenders, but once they're there we ought to provide more facilities. I've met loads of women in prison and they say, 'You treat me like an animal and I'll behave like one'. 'I've always fought for the underdog and I'd love to have been an MP.' She grins at her idealism, after all these sobering years 'Not that I would have done much good]' Such views have incensed colleagues.

Last August, after years of overwork, stress, too many cigarettes, a bit too much alcohol, she found herself with a racing heart, hyperventilating. 'I couldn't walk down High Street Kensington, the stress levels had got so high.' Eventually she suffered a panic attack so severe that she thought it was a heart attack and she was dying. 'When you're taken ill it forces you to sit down and think, crikey] If I'd carried on my life the way it was, I would have died. But I believe I've been given time out to reflect and change. For somebody who'd given the world this front, it was a shock.' Jackie Malton shares her picturesque whitewashed cottage with two long-haired tabbies (both male), William and Daisy. She hates them to catch things and had just spent ages rescuing a hapless mouse. The mouse was outside recovering; the cat sprawled on a forbidden sofa, registering displeasure. 'Oh Daisy,' said her owner, 'You know you're not supposed to lie there.' Daisy stayed put. Not a strongly authoritarian character, this DCI Malton. The living room displays dozens of photographs, including some from the Prime Suspect awards ceremony.

There are serious books, mostly by or about women or crime, towards which she is unnecessarily self-deprecating. She wonders sometimes what motherhood would have been like, but does not regret never having had children. Her job has left too little time for relationships, although she says she has many supportive friends. She says that at last, in her early forties, she feels sure of her identity and place in the world. She has taken positive steps to reduce the stress. She goes to Alexander technique classes, for which she has nothing but praise, and has given up drinking. She is easy to talk to, funny and informal and honest. Only the cigarettes remain. 'Can't give up everything at once]' she said defensively. Jackie Malton is a member of the Committee for Women in Prison, run by ex-inmates, which has taught her a lot. 'You give me those women, of that calibre, and compare them with the rich wives who waste their money shopping in Harvey Nichols. Yet those women would just write off the ex-prisoners.' Contemptuously, she imitates a spoilt upper-class whine. Yet, invited to join a group for high-flying women called Forum, she is thrilled to find herself among them.

'I love strong women. I didn't get my strength from men, I got it from women.' She feels she was underestimated in her job and that her potential was stifled. 'I do have some loyalty to the police, because over 20-odd years my experience has made me what I am; but at last I can say what I really always wanted to say; I needn't think, oh God, does the commissioner approve or is my career finished?' She dares to say anything these days. When I asked her about violence within the force she agreed that it was a problem. 'I worry about the release of aggression that men need. We are in a position of authority and power over people's lives. Wife-beating is very high in the police force. We've just had a series of seminars dealing with domestic violence and I'm told that in every seminar the issue of police violence against their partners was raised. In my day it would never even have been put on the agenda. On the other hand, there is a navety on the part of the public towards the police.

If you go to arrest an armed blagger you don't knock on his door and say 'Good morning'; you kick the door down because you know he keeps a gun under his pillow. 'When Prime Suspect came out I was afraid people would say, 'But it's not really like that'. It's painful for me to watch because that's my experience, I suffered that prejudice, and if other women in the police say they didn't, I say they're liars.' She will retire in seven years' time. 'Oh God, yes] Yes, definitely. I retire at 49 and then I'm off, I tell you. I've done my bit.' And then? 'I'd like to work with ex-offenders, do more work around issues affecting women and if possible, advise for TV on scripts. 'That's another thing I got out of Prime Suspect . . . I've tapped into my own creativity that I never knew I had. I type stuff out on the word processor now, and I'm creating ideas and concepts - I sold a story-outline the other day. All that came out of the collaboration with Lynda La Plante. I believe that Prime Suspect was meant to be.

For me, it was more than just a television programme.' (Photograph omitted) Prime Suspect #1 Audiobook | Lynda La Plante | Audible.com "La Plante always is true to form" What made the experience of listening to Prime Suspect #1 the most enjoyable? Ms. Porter captures the nuances of the text and brings characters to life. She is easy to listen to and I look for books she narrates. Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How? Plot was complex with many layers, as in life in general What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book? Davinia does an excellent job bringing characters to life, no matter who the character is, a great talent. "Not bad, but not great" Would you try another book from Lynda La Plante and/or Davina Porter? No, I don't believe I would intentionally select another of Lynda La Plante's books to listen to or read. I didn't find the writing to be all that clever. I find the writing styles of Tana French, Gillan Flynn, Donna Tartt, Adrian McKinty to be far more interesting.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!) I felt the book to be fairly predictable and at times tedious. I admire and respect the fact that she is interested in highlighting the inequality female detectives are subjected to. However, I found the presentation of it to be mundane. Which character – as performed by Davina Porter – was your favorite? I tend to enjoy stories with flawed characters with complex backgrounds that allow me to appreciate certain qualities and loath other aspects. In this story, I found the character descriptions to lack depth. The author's descriptions seemed generally limited to relatively concise descriptions that motivated the characters to act as I would expect them to. If this book were a movie would you go see it? No. By the way, the audio book starts with a narrative from the author describing how she came to write a TV script that the book is based on and the real life female detective that helped form the main character. Any additional comments? The book is a New York Times Best Seller, so clearly many people enjoy Lynda La Plante's work. I would guess that the reader who likes a concise story with an "underdog" protagonist, may like this book.

A reader that prefers books with complex characters may be less likely to find it a great read or listen. "Well written but boring for me." This book is an effort to portray a woman fighting for respect, a topic that is well worth exploring. But there is no growth of character, no learning that goes on. Her winning of respects comes for no real reason, far too fast and too complete. But that is not the failure of this book. A book needs a plot, a story that develops. This plot might be worth a (very) short story but is painful when spread out to novel length. I do want to say this is very well written, the scenes are believable as are the characters. But I read stories for excitement, the slow discovery of new facts, each one uncovering both information and more questions. I also read for character development. Sadly all are lacking in this book. "Keep in mind that 1991 was a long time ago" I didn't like many (most) of the characters. I also didn't like the heavy-handed portrayal of sexism, but... perhaps way back in 1991 it was really as bad as all that.

I think sexism in the workplace is much more subtle now - of course it still exists, but I think that nobody would explicitly state (to a woman, or to other male coworkers) some of the rude things some of the characters in this book said to or about the female lead. Taking it as a product of its time, it was a decent procedural. I did watch the Prime Suspect series on TV back in the 90s (with Helen Mirren) and had much fonder memories of the story from that show than I got from reading this book. It was decent. It was a product of its time. It could be seen as dated. I might read more in the series, but... only if I were looking for a combo trip down memory lane plus quick straight-forward read. I wasn't as smitten with the narrator as most people seem to be - she did fine, but I am not sure if the "harshness" of the story was from the story itself, or how Porter voiced Tennyson to be quite the beotch... There is no sex, some swearing and no graphic violence.

Question: Which writer created the character of 'Detective Inspector Jane Tennyson'?
Answer: LYNDA LA PLANTE